This invention relates generally to children""s play structures. More particularly, this invention relates to a children""s play structure that can be easily assembled, collapsed and stored and transported by an individual.
Play structures for young children are well known in the toy industry. In particular, there are a number of play structures currently available that are intended for use by children of ages between about two and five years. These structures typically have various features that allow children to climb the walls and platforms on the structure. Several such structures include slides or other items that increase the children""s overall level of enjoyment.
In addition to the climbers being enjoyable for small children, a significant feature of some of these structures is the ability to store the climber in a relatively compact space when the structure is not in use. It is also important that the climbers can be assembled and disassembled with relative ease. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,573, issued to Rodriguesferre discloses a structure that includes several walls which are connected to each other by several corner panels. A horizontal platform and a slide are connected to at least one of the walls, and a round bar is used to stabilize at least two of the walls. A major disadvantage of this structure, however, is that many parts are required for assembly of the structure. U.S. Pat. No. 5,580,316 issued to Hill et al. discloses a foldable play structure with a plurality of walls and a slide. The walls are hingedly connected to each other, and the hinged regions include stop surfaces and projections to latch the walls when in the assembled position. There are no horizontal components that can both add to the overall stability of the structure and increase the enjoyment of the users by having an additional object to climb on.
It is therefore desirable to have a foldable play structure that cures the above-mentioned deficiencies while still optimizing the user""s level of enjoyment.
This invention provides for a collapsible play structure comprising a plurality of walls coupled to each other by a plurality of hinges. In an assembled position, at least one platform is removably connected to at least two of the walls, thereby bracing the walls and increasing the overall stability of the structure. When the structure is collapsed, the walls fold along the hinges such that the walls fold into a substantially flat configuration. In this collapsed position, the overall thickness of the structure is substantially similar to the combined thicknesses of each of the walls.
In a preferred embodiment, when the structure is in a collapsed configuration, regions exist inside the structure for the storage of the platform, slide and possibly other components. Preferably, a latching mechanism is coupled to at least two of the walls, locking the walls in place when the structure is in the collapsed position. Also preferably, at least one wheel is located on a lower portion of one of the walls, permitting an individual to handle the structure and roll it back to storage.
One technical advantage of the collapsible structure of the present invention is that it requires little time to assemble.
A further advantage of the invention is that the play structure requires no additional tools to assemble or disassemble.
Another advantage of the invention is that all of the components of the play structure can be easily stored in one self-contained unit when the structure is in a collapsed position.
Another advantage of the invention is its ease in transportation when the structure is in the collapsed position.
Another advantage of the invention""s foldable play structure is that, while requiring a relatively few number of components for the user to assemble, it has superior stability when in the assembled position in order to maintain adequate safety levels for children.
Further advantages and features of the present invention will be apparent from the following specification and claims, once considered in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the present invention. Like characters identify like parts in the drawings.